Some Thoughts on Floss Coverage in Cross Stitch

I’ll admit this is something I never really think about, but do you use different numbers of strands of floss in different projects or different parts of a project? Unless the pattern says otherwise, I default to two strands, but that might not always be the best look, as Better Cross Stitch Patterns explains.

It all depends on the look you want for your project, of course, but it makes sense that different numbers of strands create more or less coverage of the fabric beneath.

So if you really want your design filled in, you might need to use three strands, or if you’re going for an open look, one strand might be enough.

Click over to the post for bigger images and more examples, including how coverage changes when you use colored cloth.

Is this something you’ve thought about or do you tend to stitch the same regardless? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[Photo: Better Cross Stitch Patterns.]

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How Much Embroidery Floss Should You Use?

I recently wrote a post on my blog about using a stitchable journal cover and I mentioned that you can make your own stitched cover for a journal by using perforated paper instead of buying a stitchable notebook.

I have to admit, though, that I’ve never used perforated paper for cross stitch myself. I definitely want to because I think it would be great to use for bookmarks that don’t fray and have a little more stability, for example.

Sirious Stitches has us covered, though, because they did a deep dive into all things perforated cross stitch pattern that is worth the time to read through.

The post mentions that a lot of people use perforated paper for cross stitch because they buy an ornament kit that uses it. I’ve never seen these (or at least never noticed that that is what they were) but it’s a great idea to make small projects like ornaments in this way. It also talks about the pros and cons of using cross stitch paper, where to buy it and how to make your own.

Making it yourself is an awesome idea because if you already have a pattern in mind you can just make holes in your paper where you need stitches to be and leave the rest solid. This would be ideal for making greeting cards, for example.

In addition to kits and sheets you can often find the paper pre-cut into different shapes you can use to make your own designs, no real pattern required.

The post also includes tips and advice for how to stitch on perforated paper that you’ll want to check out before you try your first project.

I’m super intrigued by the idea of using perforated paper for cross stitch and will probably be trying it out soon. Have you used it before? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Check out the post over at Sirious Stitches for more information.

[Photo: Sirious Stitches]

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